Golf practicing device



April 1, 1941. c, G|LLEVTTE 2,236,500

GOLF PRACTICING DEVICE Filed Feb. 16, 1940 ELMO/v a GILLETTE INVENTOR.

Patented Apr. 1, 1941 UNITED STTES PTENT OFFECE GOLF PRACTICIN G DEVICE Elmon C. Gillette, New York, N. Y. Application February 16, 1940, Serial No. 319,219

5 Claims.

My invention relates to golf practicing devices and has particular reference to devices having captive balls.

. My invention has for its object to provide a golf practicing device in which a captive ball is attached to one end of a resilient cord supported on the base, the ball being adapted to be held on the base in a convenient position for a drive by a golf club. The resilient cord limits the distance to which the ball is projected and, by measuring this distance, it is possible to ascertain the power of the drive. For convenience in gauging such distance, I provide a strap or tape extending from the front end of the base and calibrated in units of length, corresponding to the length of the drive if the ball were free. Thus, with a suitable rubber cord, four feet on the calibrated tape corresponds, for instance, to about two hundred yards of a free drive, five feet to about two hundred and fifty yards, and six feet to about three hundred yards.

Another object of my invention is to provide a target which can be placed on the calibrated tape and clamped in its position against the tape.

The target may be provided with additional hinged targets on the sides of the main target to indicate sliced or hooked drives.

Another object of my invention is to provide means to enable the ball, upon its rebound and return to the base, to take a teeing position for a new drive. For this purpose, I provide the front end of the base with a slot having tapering sides so that the ball can be pulled by the tension of the cord over these tapering or inclined sides on the upper side of the base.

In order to protect the cord under the base, I provide a cover or covers for the slot in which the cord slides.

My invention is more fully described in the accompanying specification and drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of my device.

Fig. 2 is an elevational view of the same.

Fig. 3 is a detail view of the front end of the base.

Fig. 4 is a bottom plan view of the base.

Fig. 5 is a front View of the target.

Fig. 6 is a view of a modified target.

My golf practicing device consists of a base board I which can be made of any suitable material such as wood, metal, or, preferably, rubber. It has a hook 2 at one end for attaching the end of a resilient cord 3. A ball 4 is attached to the other end of the cord and fits in a slot 5 at the front of the base, being held in a teeing position by the resiliency of the cord. The ball can be driven from the base by striking it with a golf club in the same manner as it is done in actual play. The cord, being made of a high grade rubber, preferably rubber tubing, stretches more or less, depending on the speed at which the club is moving at the moment of impact. The dis tance reached by the ball after the drive is approximately proportional to the actual distance which an ordinary free golf ball would travel when hit at the same speed and by the same club.

The distance of travel of the captive ball 4 can be determined by placing a target 6 in front of the device. The target is supported on a block 1 having a slot 8 at the bottom for a measuring strap or tape 9 attached at one end to the under side of the base I. The block 1 can be clamped against the tape by a suitable clamping device such as a screw ID. The target is supported on the block by means of a resilient hinge I I preferably made of rubber. The hinge tends to keep the target in a vertical position, the target resting with its edge against the surface of the block.

Additional targets l2 are attached to the side edges of the main target by resilient hinges l3. The main target is deflected when hit by the ball. One of the side targets is deflected if the ball travels at an angle, as is the case, for instance, with a sliced drive.

The ball returns on rebound to the base I. The sides of the slot 5 are tapered at M in order to enable the ball to climb on top of the base and to take a teeing position, being pulled by the tension of the cord 3.

A modified target is shown in Fig. 6, the side targets I5 being hinged to the block l6, so that they can be deflected independently of the main target.

It is understood that my golf practicing device may be further modified without departing from the spirit of the invention, as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a golf practicing device employing a ball tethered to a base on a resilient cord, a target comprising a board, a solid target plate, a horizontal hinge supporting the target plate at its lower edge on the board, yieldably retaining the target plate in a substantially vertical position, supplementary target plates, and means to hingedly support the supplementary plates at the substantially vertical side edges of the main target plate and to yieldably retain them in a substantially parallel alignment with the main tar- 2 2,236,500 get plate, the supplementary plates being substantially smaller than the main target plate stantially smaller than the main target plate. and being adapted to be deflected by the ball 2. In a golf practicing device employing a ball independently of the main target plate. tethered to a base on a resilient cord, a target 4. In a golf practicing device employing a ball comprising a board, a solid target plate, a horitethered to a base on a resilient cord, a target zontal hinge supporting the target plate at its comprising a board, a solid target plate, means lower edge on the board, yieldably retaining the to hingedly and yieldably support the plate on target plate in a substantially vertical position, the board in a substantially vertical position, supplementary target plates, hinges extending supplementary target plates, and means to hingalong the side edges of the main target plate 0 edly support the supplementary plates at the yieldably supporting the supplementary plates, substantially vertical side edges of the main tarthe supplementary plates being normally held in get plate and to yieldably retain them in a suba plane with the main target plate and being stantially parallel alignment with the main taradapted to be deflected by the ball independently get plate, the supplementary plates being subof the main plate. 15 stantially smaller than the main target plate.

3. In a golf practicing device employing a ball 5. A target for a golf practicing device comtethered to a base on a resilient cord, a target prising a board, a solid target plate, means to comprising a board, a solid target plate, a hori hingedly and yieldably support the plate on the zontal hinge supporting the target plate at its board in a substantially vertical position, supplelower edge on the board, yieldably retaining the 20 mentary target plates, and means to hingedly target plate in a substantially vertical position, support the supplementary plates at the substansupplementary target plates, and means to hingtially vertical side edges of the main target plate edly support the supplementary plates at the and to yieldably retain them in asubstantially substantially vertical side edges of the main tarparallel alignment with the main target plate, get plate and to yieldably retain them in a sub- 25 the supplementary plates being substantially stantially parallel alignment with the main tarsmaller than the main target plate. get plate, the supplementary plates being sub- ELMON C. GILLETTE. 

